Welcome to Pinellas Attracted by the mild, sub-tropical climate and miles of white sand beaches, 946,848 people have made Pinellas County their home. With an average 360 days of sunshine each year and beaches ranked among the best in the U.S., the county is also the most popular tourist destination on the Gulf of Mexico, drawing nearly six million tourists annually. Pinellas' diverse communities range in population from more than 252,000 in St. Petersburg to slightly more than 100 in Belleair Shore, and nearly all capitalize on living in a waterfront paradise. As an established county, the significant infrastructure - including schools, utilities and roadways - is already in place. Pinellas is also well connected with regional access provided via Interstate-275, two international airports, and the largest port in Florida.

The Ideal Business ClimateAnchored by the urban markets of Clearwater and St. Petersburg, Pinellas has the second largest base of manufacturing employment in Florida. Fortune 500 technology manufacturers Jabil Circuit and Tech Data are headquartered here. Pinellas has diverse, yet symbiotic, industry clusters, including aviation/aerospace; defense/national security; medical technologies; business and financial services; and information technology. An extensive network of suppliers, service-providers and business associations support operations in these sectors. Relocating businesses can move to Pinellas and expect to begin growing immediately. Pinellas encourages innovation, and with industry giants Home Shopping Network (HSNi), Nielsen, ValPak and Catalina Marketing, it is rapidly becoming Florida’s hub for big data. Through relationships with major universities and high-tech institutes, Pinellas has become a center for research and development in marine science, electronic instruments, medical devices, sensors, nanotechnology and health care. The county is home to numerous business accelerators, like the Tampa Bay Innovation Center, TEC Garage, the Gazelle Lab and Clearwater's SPARK, which are committed to nurturing and building new ventures. Notable Employers: Home Shopping Network (HSNi), Nielsen Media Research, Jabil Circuit, Raymond James Financial, Tech Data, Honeywell, Raytheon, Lockheed-Martin, ConMed Linvatec, TransAmerica and Bausch & Lomb.

Quality of Life Pinellas offers an extraordinary quality of life, a relatively low cost of living, diverse housing options and high-quality colleges and universities. With its outstanding cultural, recreational and sports facilities, incomparable parks and beaches, and year round events, Pinellas provides a true resort lifestyle.

Pinellas lies at the center of the robust Tampa Bay market, which is expected to grow from its current population of
4 million to 6 million by 2030. The market’s significant economic clout is also evidenced by more than $70 billion in consumer spending and a labor force 2 million strong. The region is ranked number 20 in the U.S. for job growth and carries the country’s 13th largest media market.

For the latest economic indicators and demographics including cost of living, real estate vacancy rates, employment and unemployment, visitor information, population, household, and income statistics as well as county and city profiles go to our Data Center.

The Pinellas education system offers innovative programs throughout the public schools, a wide variety of private schools, and an extensive college and vocational training system. Pinellas County Schools is the seventh largest district in the state with 150 schools including:

International Baccalaureate Programs are designed for highly gifted students who require a more challenging curriculum. Students are able to pursue advanced, college-bound courses during their high school years and, due to the rigor of the program, many colleges give IB students college credit for classes taken during high school

Private Education: The county is home to more than 72 private schools, providing families even more choice.

Pinellas Technical Collegeoffers students first-rate career and technical education at our two campuses – Clearwater and St. Petersburg – and at extension and clinical locations. Pinellas Technical College’s emphasis is on post secondary education focusing on over 40 exciting career areas and about 60 programs and currently has nearly 5,000 full-time students enrolled. Pinellas Technical College also offers continuing education courses and commercial training services through our Industry Services Department.

Anchoring Florida's High Tech Corridor, Pinellas County and Tampa Bay are home to the University of South Florida. With 49,000 students it is one of the largest universities in the nation and a growing powerhouse for research, rating in the top 50 for federal research expenditures. St. Petersburg College works closely with the business community and continually updates industry-focused programs. For instance, its Associate Degree in Engineering Technology was the first in Florida and serves as a national model.Eckerd College is a private college of liberal arts and sciences with 1,748 students and 39 majors. The Stetson University College of Lawhas more than 878 students and is ranked #3 in trial advocacy and #2 in legal writing by U.S. News & World Report.

University Partnership Center at St. Petersburg CollegeThe University Partnership Center is an alliance of sixteen colleges and universities. Its mission is to provide bachelor's and graduate degrees to more than 1-million people in the Pinellas County area. SPC offers access to junior and senior level courses for bachelor’s and graduate degrees at the University Partnership Center with: Barry University, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland State University, Daytona State College, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Florida Institute of Technology, Florida International University, Florida State University, National University of Health Sciences, Saint Leo University, the University of Florida, the University of South Florida, University of South Florida at St. Petersburg, University of South Florida at Sarasota / Manatee, and St. Petersburg College. Visit the SPC University Partners Page for a list of each program to be offered, by university.

Entrepreneurs

The goal is for the PCEDA to design and construct an approximate 50,000 square-foot business incubator space and outsource the operation to a third party operator. The incubator shall provide two primary functions: (1) support programs and services such as business mentoring/coaching, idea validation, strategy development, marketing assistance, network opportunities, workforce development, access to capital, access to b-schools and interns, and standard office resources; and (2) a dedicated workspace that is a combination of affordable leased spaces and flexible collaborative workspaces.The business incubator shall leverage local and regional entrepreneurship and innovation programs/activities to best support start-ups and small businesses that create high salaried jobs throughout the County and the region. The business incubator shall support targeted industry clusters, and help the County become a leader in sustained entrepreneurship.